Ben Reckendorf of Carolina Worm Castings will dig into the basics of backyard composting, including bins, tools, and accessories; sift through the process of turning kitchen scraps into plant fertilizer and cultivate the production of compost tea. You will learn from an expert while experiencing the process first hand.

You go home ready to start composting with a half pound of worms and their bin.

Please bring a paper bag full of newspaper for worm bedding (no glossy ads, please) to the workshop.

This compost is what would make a yummy smoothie for your WORMS!!!

Worms like smoothies just like we do.  If you take time to process your veggie & fruit scraps in a blender or food processor, your worms will be able to eat more food faster.

Why is everybody excited about worm poop?!  Because research shows us that compared to just the plain soil itself, worm poop (‘castings’)  are higher in bacteria and organic matter, nitrate, nitrogen, exchangeable calcium and magnesium, available phosphorus and potassium.  To put it simply: Worm castings are a sterile, odorless way to  enrich and condition your soil.  Worm castings are an organic and natural way to provide your plants with the nutrients they need.    Research has shown that worm castings work very, very well in promoting lush plant growth, but to this day, they still are not exactly sure why the castings work as well as they do.   It just goes to show us that…… Mother Nature does know what’s best!

Wormy Facts

1.  These are the four types of worms that you may run into in your garden soil:

• Nightcrawlers:   They grow to be about 8 to 10 inches long and they are a favorite bait for fisherman.

• Garden Worms:  They grow to be about 5 to 7 inches long and are found in damp soils.

• Manure Worms:  These are approximately 4 to 5 inches long and are commonly found in manure rich soils.

• Red Worms: These worms grow to 3 to 4 inches long and are also the most readily available  on the commercial market

2.   Earthworms are in almost every type of soil.  The healthier the soil is,  the greater the number of worms in that soil.   Healthy soil allows for much air and moisture, both of which are needed by the earthworm for its existence.  Earthworms do not have lungs like humans but breathe through their skin instead.  Their whole skin absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. They need moisture to assist them in their breathing but too much moisture is not good for them.

3.   A garden without earthworms would miss out on all of the great benefits worms bring to your soil.  Their first job is to till your garden’s soil by tunneling through it. These tunnels  allow air and moisture to pass  through your soil easily, creating a healthy environment for your garden plants. The tunnels retain water your plants can take up and the tunnels also hold air to help break down organic matter and bacteria within your soil.  After digestion earthworms produce excrement called “castings” or “vermicompost” and is a most excellent soil amendment.   It improves properties of your soil such as porosity and moisture retention and it aids in plant growth as well.

4.  Various species of worms are used in vermiculture, the practice of feeding organic waste to earthworms to decompose and compost food waste. These are usually Eisenia fetida (or its close relative Eisenia andrei) or the Brandling worm, also known as the Tiger worm or Red Wiggler, and are distinct from soil-dwelling earthworms.

On Thursday February 16th Ben and Didi visited the First Graders at Pittsboro Elementary School.   We visited with the kids in their classrooms, checking in on the worm bins obtained by each class from Carolina Worm Castings in January.  We found healthy, happy, lively worms which we put into small containers so that the kids were able to touch and watch the worms close-up while we were there.   We talked about caring for the worms and answered several worm questions!  We found out that broccoli is a favorite vegetable of most of the kids, just as it is a favorite for the worms!!  We look forward to visiting with Pittsboro Elementary again soon and are planning to help kids and teachers with their Spring gardening projects.